The Bonds We Share
by Ananda17lady
Summary: A continuation of "What Are You Fighting For?" - Things have calmed a bit after the battle of Tenrou Island. Then one night, when a mysterious stranger suddenly shows up, Lucy discovers the truth about her mother's death: a revelation that casts a dark shadow on Lucy's relationship with the dragon slayers.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"They really are beautiful, aren't they," Lucy said, mostly to herself but partly to the wizard sitting next to her. Looking up from the blanket where they sat, the rainbow cherry blossoms were a delicate pink hue as they occasionally fell to the ground around them.

Lucy's battle with Zeref on Tenrou Island seemed just a distant memory now, and life slowly returned to a relative state of normal for the celestial wizard. Well, as normal as life can be for a member of Fairy Tail. After Wendy gave her the okay to work again, and she begged Master Makarov for forgiveness along with promising to not go behind his back like that again, Lucy started going on jobs again with the rest of her team. Usually there was never a lack of jobs to choose from the request board, but this time of year the board got understandably barren. Because today, the annual Fairy Tail Rainbow Cherry Blossom Viewing Party, they and the rest of the guild were taking time off to enjoy the scenery and life's blessings in general. And no one had been counting his blessings more since that day than Natsu.

He said nothing, but watched her beside him as she gazed up at the blooms, sunlight shining on her golden blond hair and deep brown eyes. He always seemed to lose himself in those eyes, and the thought put a small smile on his face. Never would he have expected that inviting her to come with him back to Fairy Tail that day would change their lives forever. He remembered her first viewing party in Magnolia, mostly because she had caught a cold while on a job right before and was stuck in bed all day. He and Happy had gone without her, but he really didn't have much fun. He spent the day sulking and thinking about how excited she had been, telling Wendy all about the wonderful spectacle she hoped to witness with her own eyes. And now, she was basking in their beauty, taking it all in as her gaze moved from the trees to the friends around her. Not hearing a reply, she met his gaze and smiled. "It's everything that everyone said it would be. I can't wait until later to see them all change colors."

"Why? That's the part you've already seen, isn't it?" Natsu replied, a blush creeping into his cheeks. He wasn't sure if the Master was still angry about him and Happy uprooting one of the trees back then and sending it down the canal that flowed in front of Lucy's apartment. Although he would never admit that he and Happy were the culprits that night, he knew by her smile that Lucy realized who was responsible. He would have given anything to see the look on her face when she saw it passing by her window that night.

"It's different when you experience it with someone else." Lucy hoped the blush she felt wasn't showing on her face as she looked back up at the blossoms around her. She had missed being with everyone when it happened during her first year in Magnolia, but looking at the sight before her now, she decided it was worth the wait. Being able to enjoy it with her best friend made it that much better.

 _Her best friend..._ She paused and replayed the thoughts that had been spinning around in her head since her battle with Zeref. Even though she felt in her heart that everything she had said about Natsu was true, she had never said it aloud until that moment. Could she really just say he was a friend when there was obviously more there? They had a history now; she had put her life on the line for his against the most powerful wizard alive, for no other reason than to ensure his safety. That, she figured, meant more than just friendship to her. And she was fairly certain that Natsu was trying to tell her the same thing, in his own way, but neither of them really wanted to say all of that in front of half the guild that day in the infirmary. They didn't really get much chance to talk privately about it after she started working again either; Erza, with her overprotective eyes, made sure of that. Perhaps tonight she would ask Natsu and Happy over after the party and they could finally talk...

Just then she turned to look at her good friend Levy as her voice rose up from the crowd. "Aw man, why can't I even get one number on this stupid card! This is my year!" Jet and Droy, her other Shadow Gear team mates, laughed at her frustration, and even Gajeel had a smirk on his face. They all were sitting nearby on a blanket taking part in the viewing party's bingo tournament, which apparently was very competitive on Levy's part.

"You say that every year Lev," Droy told her with a grin.

"Well, this year it's going to be different," she said with a pout, which only made the group laugh harder.

"You say that every year too!" Jet said, which made Gajeel openly chuckle and Levy visibly blush.

Lucy giggled at her friend, and walked over to visit for a bit. She had been so lost in thought that she didn't even realize that the tournament had started. If this was any indication of how the rest of the day's festivities would play out, Lucy was in for some crazy fun indeed.

* * *

Nearby, there was another girl taking in the scenery. She was similar to Lucy in age and build, but sported a mint-colored bob. She watched Lucy with thoughtful eyes as she sat on the blanket with her friends.

* * *

"Hey Natsu, aren't you going to play?" Happy asked, looking over at his friend. He didn't have the same look on his face that he did the last time they were here, but Happy could tell that Natsu wasn't quite himself. Usually he would have been one of the first people to grab a punch card, just so that he could beat Gray at something that wouldn't involve Erza beating him up afterward.

Natsu took a drink from his mug and gave him a smile. "Nah, you go ahead buddy. Thanks anyway." He was too distracted with his thoughts to focus on a game of bingo at the moment. Happy nodded and flew over to where Wendy and Carla were sitting, hoping to catch the female Exceed in a good mood.

Now alone on the blanket, Natsu sighed and lay down on his back to look up at the trees. His hands behind his head, he closed his eyes and listened to his friends' laughs carry across the park. It made him happy to know that his family was having a good time together. Especially Lucy. He smiled as he thought about all the adventures they had been on together, how much their friendship had grown over the years together, about how much he had grown up. He was definitely not the same person he was when he ran into her that day in Hargeon. And he thanked God for that every day since. Thinking back to that day in the infirmary, he knew he cared about her and was pretty sure she felt the same way about him, but there was one thing he knew for certain: now more than ever, that he never, ever, wanted to say goodbye to Lucy Heartfilia. And he planned to do everything in his power to make sure he never had to.

* * *

"Okay, get ready everyone!" Mira called as the last rays of sunlight slipped down over the horizon. The evening promised to be a beautiful one as the stars began to slowly become visible with the fading sunset. There wasn't a cloud to be seen as the time ticked slowly closer to the viewing party's grand finale.

Lucy and Happy had rejoined Natsu on the blanket and were anxiously awaiting the moment when the blossoms would begin their famous display of technicolor brilliance. Natsu watched her hand as it gripped the blanket in anticipation. "Excited?" he mused.

"Very," she answered, as her eyes shifted upward from the trees to the sky. Seeing the stars shining brightly above her almost made her feel her mother's presence again. Her face fell slightly as she thought about Layla and the times they would sit together on her window seat and look at the night sky. Like her daughter, Layla was a Celestial Wizard and had a deep connection to the stars. Lucy remembered those times fondly now, and wished her dear mother could enjoy this with her.

Natsu noticed her reaction. "What's wrong?" he asked, more serious now.

Lucy looked back at him and gave him a small smile. "It's nothing, really. Just thinking about my mom," she said as she turned back to the sky. Natsu looked at her with surprise but said nothing. Lucy hardly ever mentioned her life before Fairy Tail, so it was a big deal when she did. He knew she had died when Lucy was young, but she never really went into more detail than that and Natsu never pushed her to say more. He knew what it was like to lose a parent, and he didn't want to open that old wound for her again. Instead, he put his hand on hers and looked up at the night sky.

Startled by his touch, Lucy turned to look down at the hand covering hers. His touch was comforting in that moment, and she watched him as he looked up at the stars. She smiled and asked herself how she ended up with such a special person in her life.

As the last light faded on the horizon, a sudden burst of light enveloped the trees and then the gentle pink became the beautiful spectrum of color that they had been that night on the tree floating down the canal. Lucy gasped in awe as she looked around her at the magical foliage surrounding them. She felt her eyes begin to fill with tears as the emotions overwhelmed her in the moment. Her mother would have loved to see this.

Natsu looked over at Lucy just as a tear slipped down her cheek. He wasn't expecting that reaction, but figured it had something to do with her mom. He gave her hand a squeeze. "Lucy, you okay?"

She wiped her eyes and gave him a brave smile. "Yeah. I think my eyes are getting tired."

Standing up, he turned to her and offered her a hand. "C'mon," he said. "Me and Happy'll walk you home."

"Actually, I'll catch up with you later Natsu," Happy said suddenly. Natsu and Lucy both looked over at the little blue cat. "I just remembered I have to talk to Wendy about something." And with that, he brought out his wings and was off.

Lucy and Natsu just looked at each other is disbelief. _What was that all about?_ Then, Natsu shrugged his shoulders and grinned. Taking his hand, Lucy stood up and grabbed her bag. "Ready?" she asked. "Lead the way," he answered, and they made their way through the crowd.

* * *

They walked in silence as they neared Lucy's apartment. Natsu, with his hands up behind his head, walked a few steps behind Lucy. She seemed deep in thought as they passed under the streetlights and he noticed that her mouth turned down as though she were troubled by something. He was about to ask what was bothering her before an unfamiliar scent made him pause. Hurrying to catch up to her, he grabbed Lucy by the arm and quickened their pace. "Natsu, what's the rush," she asked him, then fell silent when she noticed the tense look on his face.

"Someone is following us," he said quietly, not looking back.

The two speed-walked the rest of the way to Lucy's apartment. And then, just as Lucy reached for the knob, a soft voice spoke behind them.

"Are you the daughter of Lady Layla Heartfilia?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lucy froze. There were very few people outside of the guild that knew her last name, even less that knew the connections that brought with it. Although, the association to her father was usually the one in question, not her mother. And NO ONE referred to her as "Lady Layla". She was almost – no, she _was_ afraid – to face her interrogator, not because of the voice, but the magical presence the person possessed. But, she had to know, so scarcely breathing, she slowly turned to face their tracker. She was surprised by the sight that awaited her.

"Who wants to know," she heard Natsu say in a threatening tone. He had already stepped between her and the stranger, fists aflame. She could tell that he wouldn't hesitate to act if this person so much as breathed in her direction.

The stranger had a look of displeasure on her face. Lucy could see that it was a young woman, possibly around her age, with green hair styled in a short bob cut along with two, blue cross-shaped objects attached to the sides of her head like horns, and eyes the color of jade. Gold cross-shaped earrings dangled from her ears, and she was wearing something akin to that of a burgundy swimsuit, displaying her huge bust and a fancy golden coat with purple-indented flower patterns across its design, with blue fur trim around the collar. Lucy also noticed she wore a gold choker around her neck with chains attached to it, running across her back in a T-shaped pattern. Her outfit was completed by a pair of dark-brown high heels with purple nail polish coat on her toenails and a mark of association unknown to Lucy on her right thigh. She did not appear to have malevolent intentions, but Lucy had been kidnapped enough times to suspect anyone. But although she was suspicious of the woman, this was not a conversation she wanted to have on the street in front of her apartment. Unlocking the door, she opened it and motioned for her to come in. "Please," Lucy said. She could feel Natsu look at her in shock, but he stepped to the side to let the stranger pass and followed her inside, and Lucy closed the door behind them.

The woman took a step forward, and Lucy felt Natsu's flames flare up. If the woman felt at all intimidated by the dragon slayer, she hid it well. In fact, Lucy's unexpected guest's expression changed from displeasure to one of sheer annoyance with Natsu's nonverbal threat. It actually reminded Lucy of Aquarius, and if the atmosphere hadn't been so serious she might have cracked a smile. "My name is Brandish Miu. My mother knew Lady Layla, and has been looking for her daughter. It was her dying wish that I continue the search in her stead."

* * *

Natsu was already on high alert, standing between Lucy and the stranger with fists flaming. He was surprised to see a woman, especially one so similar in build and age to Lucy, but that wasn't going to stop him if she made a move to hurt his friend. That magical energy was unsettling to say the least.

"Who wants to know?" he growled fiercely. He eyed her up and down, taking note of her expression and guessed she didn't wish to be there as much as her presence wasn't wanted. He paused as he noticed the tattoo on her right thigh, his brows furrowing in suspicion. He had never seen one like that before, not even from the dark guilds, but he was sure that it couldn't possibly be good. He would definitely be asking Gramps about it later.

He knew from experience that appearances could be deceiving, the perfect example being the sky dragon slayer Wendy Marvel. Still the sweet girl the two had met from Caitshelter, but now also the stuff of legend having destroyed one of the Faces in the battle of Tartaros. He wasn't taking any chances with this person. NOBODY was getting near Lucy without her say-so.

Suddenly he heard a key turn and then a door open behind him. "Please," Lucy said, motioning for the woman to enter. _What are you doing!?_ He couldn't manage any other coherent thought besides that as he stared at her. But, choosing to trust her instincts in this instance, he stepped to the side to let the woman pass and followed her inside. Behind him, Lucy entered and closed the door behind them. The woman took a step forward, and he let his flames flare. Even though Lucy would be mad, he wanted to make sure the impromptu guest got the message. The only response he got from the woman was a look of annoyance.

"My name is Brandish Miu," the woman said finally. "My mother knew Lady Layla, and has been looking for her daughter. It was her dying wish that I continue the search in her stead."

* * *

"Please, come in," Lucy said, walking into the main living area and motioning to the couch. Brandish followed and sat down, claiming it as if it were her throne while Lucy brought one of the chairs from the kitchen and sat in front of her with a glass of water in hand. She offered her some as well, but Brandish ignored her. Natsu stood next to Lucy with his arms crossed. Lucy sighed and sat down in front of the woman on the couch.

 _Better figure out what this is all about..._ she thought to herself as she took a deep breath.

" _I_ am Lucy Heartfilia," she said, confirming what Brandish already figured out. "And I'm sorry for your loss. But I have no idea who your mother was, or why she would have been looking for me." She looked at the girl on her couch expectantly, hoping to coax her into telling her more.

"My mother's name was Grammi, and a former student of Lady Layla." Looking down at her lap, Brandish smiled softly. "I suppose part of the reason she looked for you is our mothers hoped one day that we would be friends."

Lucy eyebrows raised, taken aback by her statement. Obviously her mother and this Grammi woman had a strong relationship at one time for them to wish the two young women would be friends. She could tell by the woman's reaction that the death of her mother had affected her greatly. Lucy couldn't remember her mother ever mentioning that name, however, so she decided to remain silent, hoping the young woman would continue.

Shifting her gaze to Natsu, Brandish's smile faded and her expression became guarded. Her tone grew serious again as she spoke. "And who might you be? I was not told Lady Layla had a son."

Natsu scoffed at her comment, knowing full well that Brandish didn't feel he needed to be part of this conversation. "This is my friend Natsu," Lucy told her, finishing the introductions. "You can trust him."

"He is a fire wizard, I see,"she said flatly.

"Fire _Dragon Slayer_ ," he answered gruffly.

Lucy watched as Brandish's eyes narrowed. "... You are one of the Five...the one called END."

Now she had Natsu's attention as well. "Not anymore," he growled. His eyes betrayed him however with the surprise and fear that flickered there before filling with anger again. Putting one hand out to his side to shield Lucy and making the other into a flaming fist, Natsu's voice grew quiet and frightening. "Who sent you? _**And how do you know about that**_ _?"_

Lucy looked from Natsu to Brandish in confusion. _Who IS this woman? And what does she mean by "the Five"?_

A strange smile crossed her lips. "I am actually quite knowledgeable on the subject of END. Emperor Spriggan was very fond of you, even willing to battle a lone wizard on Tenrou Island to decide your fate." Eyes wide with shock, Natsu pulled back and extinguished his flame. "You know Zeref?"

Ignoring his question, Brandish turned to Lucy. "The two of you are able to remain friends, even after what happened?"

"What are you talking about?" she said incredulously. "Of course we're friends. Natsu is my _best_ friend!" She was getting tired of all the runaround questions. _Get to the point already!_

Brandish's eyebrow raised. _She doesn't know..._

"Just tell us what this is all about," Natsu said in a low voice, his patience running low as well.

Brandish took an exasperated breath. This was not part of her promise to her mother, and now she was stuck here with Lady Layla's daughter, oblivious to her mother's tragic demise. She wasn't expecting this little variable, and found it troublesome to have to spell things out for this ignorant girl. "The Five are the reason your mother died."

* * *

Natsu felt his blood boiling in his veins as the flames threatened to surround his body in his anger. He decided that she had to be talking about the five _Dragon Slayers_ – Wendy, Gajeel, Sting, Rogue, and Natsu. He didn't like at all what she was insinuating, though. _How dare she walk in here and accuse him of being responsible for Lucy's mother's death!_ And he _**really**_ didn't like her mention of the term END. That was a dark reminder of his past with Zeref, and something that he wanted to keep that way: **in the past**. Suddenly, he heard a gasp and turned to look at Lucy. Her eyes wide and mouth open in shock, her hand dropped the glass of water she was holding. It fell to the floor and tipped over, spilling water all over the carpet, but she made no attempt to pick it up. "What did you say?" he heard her say under her breath. Struggling to keep his composure, he glared at the woman and attempted to keep his voice even. "Care to explain _what exactly you mean by that_?"

Brandish looked back at him with a coldness that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Her every feature seemed to lack even the smallest indication of sympathy. "I didn't realize that Lady Lucy was unaware of the details regarding Lady Layla's passing. It must be quite a shock to know that someone she calls her friend was responsible."

Teeth clenched, Natsu let out a deep low growl. The dragon slayer was quickly reaching his breaking point with this woman.

"That's not possible. My mother never knew Natsu." Lucy's voice was quiet but firm, trying desperately to rationalize what she had just been told. Her head was lowered so her bangs concealed her eyes, but he could smell the salty tears that were forming.

The green-haired woman's icy gaze turned to Lucy. "Lady Layla was a Celestial Wizard, was she not?"

Lucy nodded. She had fond memories of her mother promising to teach her to summon the spirits when she was old enough. Although, as fate would have it, Layla would never get the chance.

"Then you _must_ have known about the decree placed upon your family."

Lucy shook her head.

Natsu watched the conversation between the two women carefully. "Maybe you had better start at the beginning, so we _all_ know what the heck you're trying to say."

Brandish rolled her eyes at the dragon slayer and moaned in annoyance. This was becoming more troublesome by the minute. "Very well," she said finally. "It would appear I have no choice." Turning to Lucy, she said, "I'll take that glass of water now."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Noticing that Lucy didn't respond, Natsu went to the kitchen to get a glass from the cupboard, scooped in some ice, and started filling it from the sink before bringing it back for her guest. Brandish took the cup from his hand, the ice clinking against the glass as she brought it to her lips. The cool tap water felt refreshing on the back of her throat. After she took a drink, she held it in her lap and turned her attention to the wizards before her.

"When your mother retired from using magic, she entrusted each of her students one of her gate keys: to Zoldeo, she gave the key of Capricorn; to Spetto, Cancer; and to my mother Grammi," she paused for a moment before finishing, "she gave Aquarius' key."

Lucy sat in shock. There were several things in that sentence that surprised her: the fact that Zoldeo, one of the Seven Kin of Purgurtory, was a student of her mother's; Miss Spetto, one of the servants at the estate where she grew up and one of her dearest friends, was a Celestial Wizard; and most interestingly, this Grammi woman came in possession of Aquarius' key at some point. _Maybe that's why she reminds me of Aquarius,_ she mused to herself.

"Shortly after, my mother decided to travel the world. So she took Aquarius' key and her young daughter to the continent of Alakitasia, which would later be known as the Alvarez Empire," she said, motioning to the tattoo on her thigh. Lucy realized that this was the explanation for her having no knowledge of Brandish and her mother. She wondered if all of the Empire's citizens bore that mark, but she didn't interrupt.

"Then, finally, the time had come for the Eclipse Gate to be opened, in accordance with the decree passed down through the Heartfilia family for generations. This duty fell to Lady Layla, and she began the process of collecting the 12 Zodiac keys needed for the task. But Aquarius' key could not be found, and so in exchange for the missing key, Her Ladyship used her own life force to open the Gate."

Lucy's eyes were wide with horror.

"Because of the immense drain on her life force, Lady Layla contracted Magic Deficiency Disease. It was not until 7 days later that my mother learned of her condition. When she finally returned to Lady Layla, my mother was heartbroken. She begged her forgiveness and insisted Her Ladyship take back Aquarius' key, claiming she was no longer worthy of possessing it. But Lady Layla told her there was nothing to forgive, and said she hoped their daughters could someday be friends, just as they were." At this point Brandish paused to take a drink, hoping to suppress the emotions that were threatening to rise to the surface. "It was not long after that visit that Her Ladyship passed away. My mother never saw nor spoke to her again."

"Okay," Lucy began, finally finding her voice again, "but that doesn't really explain what the decree was for in the first place. Why did the Eclipse Gate have to be opened?"

That strange smile returned to Brandish's face. "Because...on the 7th day...of the 7th month...in the year x777, five travelers would walk through the Eclipse Gate from 400 years in the past." Her eyes turned to Natsu, a look of panic on his face. "And your friend here was one of them."

* * *

 _There it was again, N_ atsu thought to himself, that menacing smile she had when she called him END. Now, she was blaming him for killing Lucy's mother.

Lucy was not stupid; Natsu knew that she was beginning to connect the dots. This was not the way he thought this conversation was going to go, and it somehow felt like she was trying to put Lucy against him. But as angry as he was in that moment, he was more concerned about Lucy. He looked down at her in the chair next to him, and was surprised to see her looking back at him, her eyes pleading for him to tell her this woman was lying to them.

"Natsu...?"

He let out a deep breath and looked at the floor in front of him before he answered her, unable to bring himself to look her in the eye. "Lucy, Igneel and the other dragons agreed to take us in because they needed us to defeat Acnologia and avenge their dragon friends. So they taught us Dragon Slayer magic and, according to him, hid themselves in our bodies and traveled 400 years into the future, to the 7th day of the 7th month in the year x777." He paused to look at her. "I don't remember any of that time travel stuff, but I know he wouldn't lie about something like that."

"Then...the other four are...?"

"Rogue, Sting, Gajeel, and Wendy," he said quietly, lowering his eyes to the floor again.

Lucy looked down at the clenched fists in her lap. She suddenly felt the room begin to spin as the anger rose up from within her...

"So the reason my mom died is because someone who was alive _400 years ago_ ordered her to open a "time portal", and because _your_ mother up and disappeared, _**my mother**_ had to sacrifice herself so that _**YOU GUYS**_ **could just walk right through and play** _ **HERO**_!?"

"Lucy, please..."

" **Get out**." The tone in Lucy's voice cut him to the core. What had started out as a beautiful and perfect day had suddenly taken a turn for the worst. Natsu could only look at her in disbelief, trying to figure out in his mind when it all went so terribly wrong.

Rising from the couch, Brandish looked down at Lucy's blond hair. "Don't worry; I can show myself out."

Lucy made no attempt to get up from her seat, but instead looked up at her with cold, dead eyes. "Just so you know, I highly doubt that we will ever be friends."

Brandish tilted her head back and laughed. The sound made her sick. "Did you really think I ever cared about that? My only reason for coming here was to fulfill a promise, and now I have." She glanced at Natsu, and seeing his pained expression, added with a grin, "The rest, however, turned out to be just a bonus." And with that, she let herself out and closed the door behind her.

Once the door was closed, Lucy put her head in her hands and uttered the most heart-wrenching sobs that Natsu had ever heard. He tried to comfort her by putting his hand on her shoulder, but she forcefully swatted it away. With a confused and hurt look on his face, he left her to her crying and quietly let himself out the front door.

Once he was out on the street, he fell to his knees and slammed his fiery fists onto the concrete. Still able to hear her wailing, he cursed himself under his breath as the tears began to fall down his cheeks.

He had hurt his best friend, and he had no idea what to do to make things right again.

* * *

Humming cheerfully and feeling very proud of himself, Happy floated down the street that lead to Lucy's apartment. He had a great time spending time with Wendy and Carla without Natsu being around, and he was able to give him and Lucy some time alone away from Erza to talk. He knew there was something different between the two of them after Lucy's fight against Zeref, and decided the two needed to figure some things out, especially since he accidentally blurted out in front of half the guild that the two loved each other. So this was his way of helping his friends out and being a good wing-man at the same time.

 _I'm a genius_ , he thought to himself.

As he got closer to Lucy's building, he noticed someone knelt down on the ground. He pushed away the thought that it could be Natsu, until he couldn't deny it any longer and realized that his dragon slayer friend was _crying._ Happy could count the number of times on one paw that he had seen Natsu cry, and the thought caused confusion and fear to rise up within him.

"Natsu...?"

When he got no response except sniffles and tear-filled eyes, Happy grabbed Natsu by the arm and pulled him to his feet. "C'mon Natsu, let's go home."

"Yeah, sure," he said quietly as he wiped his face with his sleeve. Happy grabbed him by the back of his shirt and he and Natsu flew off into the sky in the direction of home.

* * *

When Lucy finally stopped crying, she was alone and the clock showed that she had been at it for quite a while. Putting the chair back in the kitchen, she left the glasses of water where they sat and headed to the bathroom to take a long soak in the tub. As the water filled the basin, she looked at herself in the mirror above the sink through puffy, red eyes. She had been so young when her mom got sick, she really didn't understand what was happening to her. Now, older and knowing the truth, she was secretly grateful that her father had kept her in the dark about what had really happened to her mom.

Lowering herself into the warm, relaxing water, Lucy's mind filled with questions. What would her life have been like if her mother were still alive? Would she have ever left home and joined Fairy Tail? Would she have ever met Natsu? Being a Celestial Wizard herself, she wondered what went through her mother's mind as she made the decision to use herself in place of the missing celestial gate key. Could she have made that choice had she been in that position? And what did Aquarius feel when she found out what had happened to her mother? How did the other spirits feel? Sighing, Lucy lay back in the water and closed her eyes, blocking out the world as she tried to deal with the reality that, however indirectly, five of her friends were responsible for her losing her mother far too soon.

When the water was finally too cold for her to stay in any longer, she got out and put her pajamas on. Then, at long last, she passed out on top of the blankets of her bed, clutching what was left of Aquarius' gate key.

* * *

Natsu and Happy lay in the hammock, Happy curled up on Natsu's chest, and Natsu staring up at the ceiling. He was no longer crying, but Happy could still hear the occasional quiet sniffle from his friend. "Don't worry. She'll be back to normal by tomorrow. It's not like she can avoid us forever; we're a team, right?"

Natsu said nothing, but Happy thought he saw a hint of a smile on his face. The dragon slayer knew that his friend was trying to cheer him up, but deep down he knew that Lucy wasn't going to just bounce back from this overnight. The sound of her anguish-filled sobs were almost physically painful to listen to, and he couldn't get the smell of her tears out of his nostrils. He could only imagine the questions that must have been going through her mind; about her mom, about him, about what her life could have been... He tried to shake away the thought. Natsu always tried to live his life so he would never have to look back and say "what if", but tonight , for the first time, he was beginning to second guess things, and he found it all very unnerving.

He decided that he would give her the space she needed, but hoped she wouldn't stay away too long. He was already starting to miss seeing her smile.

Finally, he felt his eyelids grow heavy, and didn't fight it as he gave in to the dreamless sleep that awaited him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Three days and nights came and went, and Lucy had become a ghost.

He could smell her inside her apartment, but she wasn't answering the door, and when Natsu went up to her window to check on her the following evening he found the curtains drawn and the sash locked tight. He spent that night camped out in her yard, waiting to see if she would open her window and let him talk to her, but she never did.

For the next two days after that, when Natsu wasn't staring up at the stars from his hammock, wondering if those curtains would ever open again, he could be found sulking at the guild hall, trying to drown out the sound of her painful cries, the smell of her salty tears, and desperately tried to forget the look of sadness, betrayal, shock and anger on her face. He would stay all day until Mira would gently tell him that she had to leave for the night, and then he and Happy would slowly make the walk back to their house. Natsu felt as if he were slowly going mad.

Happy wasn't much better. He didn't really know what had happened between him and Lucy that night (because Natsu hadn't really said much of anything in three days), but it had been a long time since Natsu was this upset. Not since Igneel died, and then he went right to packing, and then after leaving a note for Lucy, the two of them set out to train and get stronger to protect everyone. Now, it was as if Natsu had lost his will to fight, a look of defeat in his eyes. It was more than the Exceed could take.

His friends noticed the change in Natsu also. Kinana watched with empathy in her eyes as she served him his meal, only to see him just push the food around on his plate. His eyes became distant, and he barely spoke to anyone. Even Gray was unable to shake him out of his funk, taunting him to try and get him to fight. Erza, having not seen Lucy for a few days now, figured the two instances were connected, but didn't know what could have happened in such a short time to cause such a drastic change in the dragon slayer's demeanor. But after three days, and watching her friend only get worse, she was going to find out.

Walking up to the empty seat next to him, she asked, "Is this seat taken?"

Natsu looked over at her from the corner of his eye, but said nothing.

Assuming the negative, Erza sat down beside him. After ordering a piece of strawberry cake, she turned to her friend and waited for him to begin the conversation.

"I feel like I messed up bad," he said quietly, "but I don't even know what I did, and I can't ask her because she won't let me talk to her. I'm trying to give her some space, but I don't know how much more of this I can take." His eyes were fixed on the plate of untouched food in front of him, threatening to well up with tears again at any moment.

Erza gently put a hand on his shoulder. "Natsu, I don't know if I will have the answer for you, but right now, you need a friend. It breaks all of our hearts to see you like this, and we will do whatever it takes to help you make things right with Lucy."

Natsu looked over at the redhead in surprise.

"We're all family here, and family helps each other. So please, Natsu," she said quietly with a smile, "tell me what happened."

Just then, the great wooden doors of the guild hall swung open and a solitary figure rushed in.

Natsu turned to look and his eyes grew wide.

* * *

When Lucy awoke the next morning, she felt as if she had not slept in days. Whatever sleep she figured she must have gotten was not restful, and her body was letting her know it. She ended up spending that first whole day in bed, staring at the picture of her mother on her desk, only getting up to make herself some tea and then going straight back to bed. After seeing Happy flying off with Natsu the night before, she had locked her window and closed the curtains. She was still too angry and hurt to talk to anyone, especially him. She heard a knock on her door occasionally and someone call for her from the other side, but she ignored it. That night, as she lay in bed, she heard a soft rap on her window and a jiggle of the sash. She let out a soft sigh, and rolled away from the window.

The next two days she was left alone with her thoughts, until finally Lucy woke up, showered, got dressed, and went to the place she thought she could find the answers: her mother's grave.

It was the first time in months that she found herself standing in front of those two stone sarcophaguses. Whoever her father had chosen as caretaker of them was doing a good job; she would have to thank them for watching over her parents so faithfully. The headstones were clean, the metalwork inlays of the names and dates bright and shining in the sunlight; the surrounding cherry trees her mother loved were recently pruned and in full blossom. It was a beautiful place, and Lucy could see why her father had chosen this place for them after his business went under.

Placing the bouquets of flowers she had brought for them on each place, Lucy stood back and looked at the large stone markers at the head of the graves. The mix of emotions she had felt the day her mother died came rushing back, but this time there were no more tears to cry. _I miss you Mom,_ she thought.

Suddenly, a gently shimmer of light appeared next to her, and when it faded there stood a well-dressed young man. She didn't turn to look at him, but she knew it was a friend. He didn't say a word, and just stood by his master and friend, looking at the graves in front of them. After a long silence, she spoke.

"I don't even know what to feel anymore," she began. "In my head I know he wouldn't do anything to hurt me, but my heart feels like it's been torn in two. My mom didn't have to die..."

"Lucy, your mother loved you with all her heart," Loke said quietly. "She didn't want to leave you, or your father, but she understood that the Eclipse Gate had to be opened. You were too young and could not summon spirits yet, so the responsibility fell to her. She did what she had to do to fulfill her duty, as a Heartfilia, and a Celestial Wizard." Loke paused to look at Lucy. "If you want someone to blame, choose Grammi. But don't take things out on Natsu and the others. He's punished himself more in the last three days than you ever could."

Lucy turned to look at the lion spirit. "Thanks Loke," she said, giving him a smile. She knew he was right, and realized she needed to make things right with Natsu, too.

As she made her way back to town, hoping to find Natsu at the guild hall, she looked up to see an individual in a full length hooded cloak coming toward her on the path. As she approached, Lucy's eyes grew wide with recognition as she noticed the mint green locks peeking out of the hood. Just then, she felt a strong arm grab her from behind and a hand press firmly against her nose and mouth. She fought to get loose, but it was no use. Slowly her eyes began to close, and her body went limp in the stranger's arms.

When Lucy and her captors were a safe distance away, Loke appeared and watched for a moment before he flashed away. _Don't worry Lucy, I'll bring help,_ he thought.

Reappearing just outside of the guild hall, Loke forced the great wooden doors open wide and rushed in, scanning the hall for one person in particular. When he found him, he was sitting at the bar next to Erza looking back at him, eyes wide in surprise.

"Natsu, Lucy needs our help. She's been kidnapped."

* * *

He hesitated for a moment, and then she saw a glimpse of anger in his eyes before Erza watched Natsu turn back to his plate of food.

"Lu's been...kidnapped?" Levy gasped under her breath.

"Who did this, Loke?" Erza asked.

"Where is she?!" Gray yelled, pushing up out of his chair.

"Is she hurt?" Wendy asked, eyes filled with concern.

Loke held his hands up in an attempt to calm everyone. "Just listen for a sec. Lucy was visiting her parents' graves when she was ambushed on her way back here. She was taken by a woman with mint green hair and another man. They were headed towards the mountains. But she's unconscious, and she lost her keys in the struggle," he said, holding up her pouch.

Natsu listened quietly, still focused on his now-cold plate of food.

Happy turned to face him. "What are we waiting for? We have to save her!" His eyes were pleading with him for some kind of reaction. Anything.

Natsu replied quietly, "How convenient."

Everyone in the guild hall stood in shocked silence.

"What do you mean, 'how convenient'?" Gray said angrily, stalking over to Natsu's seat at the bar.

"I mean," Natsu retorted, "she doesn't want anything to do with me for three days, and now that she needs help I'm _supposed_ to go play the hero?"

Gray stepped back in surprise. "What's gotten into you, Natsu?"

"Nothing!...I mean...I don't know...a lot, I guess."

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"Speak English," Gajeel growled, annoyed with Natsu's hesitation. In his mind, Natsu should have been the first one jumping up and ready to bust some heads.

"She thinks that the Dragon Slayers are partly responsible for her mother's death."

Wendy and Gajeel looked at their friend in disbelief. "Why would she think that?" she said, a hurt look on her face.

Natsu spun around on his barstool to face everyone. "Because some woman with green hair told her some stuff about us, and now Lucy won't even talk to me..." His voice trailed off as he realized what had happened. "We have to find Lucy. Right now."

* * *

Lucy awoke with a headache, sitting in a chair in a dimly lit room. She noticed her hands were tied, and when she reached for her keys she cursed in frustration. As she looked around the small room, she observed there were no windows, and a bare mattress was set up on the floor in the corner. A large heavy iron door was the only way in or out.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Lucy was shocked to the person who now faced her. " _You,_ " she snarled.

The woman only laughed. "Oh come now, is that any way to talk to an old _friend?_ "

Lucy glared at Brandish with rage. "I could never be friends with someone like you."

A smug grin crossed Brandish's face. "Pity you don't have any idea with whom you are dealing."

"You will regret messing with Fairy Tail," Lucy hissed back at the woman.

A menacing smile now played on Brandish's lips. "I will be interested to see who exactly you think is coming to your rescue, seeing as you pushed them all away after that little revelation of yours a few days ago."

Lucy's look changed from anger to terror as she realized what Brandish had managed to do. _I played right into her plan_ , she thought with dismay. _Please forgive me, Natsu!_

 _Please, someone help me!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Makarov Dreyer was just finishing his paperwork for the day when the guild doors suddenly swung open. The sound was unusually loud in the rare stillness of the last three days. Although the sound that caught his attention was the conversation taking place on the main floor below him.

"Lu's been...kidnapped?"

"How convenient."

"What do you mean, 'how convenient'?"

"I mean, she doesn't want anything to do with me for three days, and now that she needs help I'm _supposed_ to go play the hero?"

"What's gotten into you, Natsu?"

The guild master let out a long sigh. He had thought it slightly odd not to see the celestial wizard among the group for the last few days, but put it out of his mind while he attended to guild business. Now knowing something nefarious was going on, he intended to find out more about the matter. Putting down his pen, Makarov rose from his desk and made his way to the balcony. Looking down, he saw that a small group had formed around Natsu, and the conversation had grown tense.

"We have to find Lucy. Right now," Natsu said to the group, eyes wide.

"And we will." Everyone turned and looked in surprise at the short-statured old man on the balcony. He hopped over the edge of the railing and effortlessly landed on the bar below. "Lucy has proven herself above and beyond to be a vital and irreplacable part of Fairy Tail." His voice softened. "I made a mistake last time when I let her battle Zeref alone...I will not allow her to endure everything alone again."

"Master..." Erza said quietly.

Strength returned to his voice as he raised his hand in the Fairy Tail salute. "Fairy Tail is a family! And those that wish to harm one of my children will pay dearly! Now who's with me!"

"Yeah!" came the response.

"Organize a rescue team at once. Loke, tell me everything you know."

"Yes, Master," Erza said, turning to her guildmates. "So, who's coming?"

"You know I am," Gray answered.

"You'll need me if she needs medical attention," Wendy said.

"And I go where Wendy goes," Carla responded.

"I'm down for busting some skulls," Gajeel said with a toothy grin.

Levy and Lily nodded.

"Natsu?" Happy asked expectantly.

Natsu looked around at his friends. Words from the distant past echoed in his mind.

 _'We're all family here, and family helps each other.' (Erza)_

 _'Being in a guild means never turning your back on a friend!' (Natsu)_

 _'What are you talking about? Of course we are. Natsu is my best friend!' (Lucy)_

Whatever doubt he may have had was now long gone. Fists ablaze, he said with a grin, "I'm all fired up now."

Erza looked back at her friend with a smile.

"Aye sir!" Happy exclaimed joyfully. The old Natsu was back.

"Alright! Let's go show these guys why you don't mess with Fairy Tail!" Gray shouted.

"Yeah!"

* * *

Lucy had to dodge to avoid the glass of water that Brandish threw at her. It hit the wall behind her and shattered, a slurry of water and shards of glass on the floor. Lucy looked up at her with anger and confusion. "What do you want with me?" she asked. "I have done nothing to you!"

"Nothing?" Brandish repeated in a low and sinister voice. It sent chills down Lucy's spine. " _Your_ mother is the reason _my mother_ is _**dead**_!"

Lucy sat in silence, shocked and still very confused.

"Do you think you're the only one who didn't get to grow up with her mother by her side?" Brandish inquired, not really expecting an answer. "My mother's life was stolen from her, and it's all Layla's fault!"

"What are you talking about?" Lucy finally shouted. "You know, for once I wish you would just make sense."

Suddenly, Brandish was in front of Lucy on the floor, hands around her neck. Lucy's eyes grew wide as she fought to pry her hands away. "Layla had to use her life force in place of the missing key my mother was entrusted with. So in exchange, Layla sent someone to MURDER my mother," she snarled. "And the only way I can avenge her now...is to kill you."

Brandish's hands squeezed tighter, and Lucy started fighting harder, the panic growing on her face as she struggled to breathe. Slowly, her eyes began to close, and Lucy's grip on Brandish's arms grew slack as her body began to shut down.

"And with your little dragon slayer friend chasing your scent, the Emperor is free to carry out his _true_ intentions. So, please," Brandish whispered through tears, "just die."

At that moment, a great wind suddenly swirled around the puddle of water on the floor, and a blinding light filled the room. Brandish fell back in surprise as Lucy gasped for breath. When the light faded, a beautiful mermaid with long flowing blue hair stood protectively over the celestial wizard.

"What were you saying about my key?" she asked.

Lucy looked up in shock.

 _Aquarius?_

* * *

Loke turned to the old man. "The woman calls herself Brandish Miu. She is one of the Spriggan 12, Zeref's protection guard, and is known as 'Country Demolisher'." The lion spirit lowered his voice and leaned closer to Makarov. "She also claims that Layla was her mother's teacher."

"Hmm..." Makarov said thoughtfully. _What interesting bonds we share..._

Suddenly Loke paused. "We have to hurry. If she's looking to get some revenge from Lucy, she's in real danger."

"I couldn't agree more," Makarov said, turning back to the rest of the wizards. "You must start out immediately. Lucy could be in grave danger!"

"Aye sir!" Happy shouted, as he and the rest ran out the guild hall doors and out of town toward the mountains.

 _Hang on Lucy,_ Natsu thought, a look of determination on his face. _We're on our way._

* * *

Meanwhile, in Vistarion, the capital city of Alvarez, there stands a gigantic palace with many towers and sections, towering over the city. And within, sits a young ruler upon his elaborate throne. As the throne room doors open, a man is escorted by two Imperial guards to His Majesty's throne.

Standing tall with his hands behind his back, his presence seemed to command respect, even from the Emperor himself. Of average height, the man wore his long white hair over his right shoulder in a low ponytail held by a golden clasp. His alert blood-red eyes looked through a pair of spectacles. The rest of his attire was very trim, consisting of a simple pair of dark dress pants, a white collared button-up dress shirt, an azure blue neck tie, a high-collared trench coat matching the color of his tie with white edging, and a pair of dark colored shoes with contrasting light soles. On the coat were dark marking diagonally branded from his left shoulder and sleeve and ran down the front and back. The coat was held closed by a beautiful belt looped twice around and fastened with a simple buckle.

As the guards knelt and bowed before the Emperor, he bowed his head slightly and placed his right hand over his heart. "You sent for me, My Lord?"

"General Invel," Zeref began, "All of my hesitation is gone. I have decided to destroy the world instead of myself, and with Natsu off rescuing his friend, there is no one left who can stop me now. I want you to prepare the troops for battle. Our target is Fairy Tail. We will take control of the guild and obtain Fairy Heart, the ultimate power."

"Yes sir," Invel answered, rising to his feet and taking one final bow before turning to leave.

"One more thing," Zeref called out. "Would you please acquire me a new set of clothes?"

"My Lord?" Invel asked.

His onyx eyes now scarlet and a grin on his face, Zeref answered, "Robes more befitting of an Emperor, that is."

Returning the grin, the general bowed once more. "As you wish, My Lord."

* * *

Brandish sat back against the wall, shocked and afraid.

Lucy couldn't believe her eyes.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it, Lucy?" Aquarius asked gently.

The tears began welling up in her eyes, and Lucy didn't try to hold them back. Grabbing the spirit in a strong embrace, Lucy let herself cry. "Aquarius, you came back! I've missed you so much! I can't believe you're really here!"

"Well, I'm not exactly here on my own power," the water bearer replied. "You can thank the Spirit King for that. I came to let you know that my key has been reborn in the human world, so if you want us to be together again you're going to have to go look for it. I'm not going to just tell you where it is though," she said, crossing her arms. Then, looking over at the other woman in the room, she smirked and said, "I guess it's been awhile for you too, hasn't it Brandish?"

Brandish replied with a look of surprise.

"You two know each other?" Lucy asked.

"The little brat said so herself, didn't she?" Aquarius replied, still eyeing the other woman. "Her mother owned my key for a time. Used to play all the time, didn't we?"

Brandish's look of surprise quickly faded and was replaced by annoyed embarrassment.

Aquarius' eyes narrowed. "Oh come now, is that any way to greet an old _friend_?"

The woman lowered her eyes. "The reason you are here does not matter. I can never forgive Layla for the death of my mother."

The water bearer's expression grew serious. "Lucy isn't Layla, Brandish. Besides, Layla didn't order the death of Grammi in the first place. She would never have wanted anything to happen to your mother. Not in a million years."

Both of the young women looked at Aquarius in surprise.

"Now, I'm only going to say this once, so listen good. This is what really happened to Grammi."

* * *

Making their way toward the mountains, Natsu could begin to pick up Lucy's scent. It was extremely faint, but it was there. Following not far behind, the rest of the rescue team raced to keep up. Every moment wasted was another moment Lucy was in danger.

Suddenly, Loke stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide. "It can't be..." he muttered under his breath.

The rest of the team paused to look back at the lion spirit. "Loke, what's wrong?" Wendy asked.

"She's here..." Loke stammered. "I don't know how, but I can feel her magic energy...Aquarius...She's here in the human world."

"But how can that be? I thought Lucy said Aquarius' key was broken," Gray said in confusion.

Erza scowled. "We need to hurry. We don't know what to expect once we arrive. If Aquarius passed through the gate on her own accord, Lucy may be in more danger than we thought."

Natsu turned back to face the mountains before them. _Lucy, you better be okay until I get there,_ he thought. _Because I'm not ready to say goodbye to you yet._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

*Rating Change from K+ to T*

"But how can that be?" Gray said, looking back at the lion spirit in confusion. "I thought Lucy said Aquarius' key was broken!"

"We need to hurry," Erza said as he turned in time to see her scowl. "We don't know what to expect once we arrive. If Aquarius passed through the gate on her own accord, Lucy may be in more danger than we thought."

At the mention of Lucy being in danger, he noticed Natsu out of the corner of his eye turn away from the group to face the mountains before them. Gray turned to face the dragon slayer fully, and watched him for a moment. There was a time when Gray wouldn't have understood Natsu's feelings for the celestial wizard, but that time had passed; Gray only had Juvia to thank for that.

After watching Lucy fight for his life, nearly at the price of her own, Natsu had become a different person. Sure, he was still the fight-happy moron that he had grown up next to, but now Natsu showed a new regard for Lucy: more sensitive, more protective. And now, Gray was seeing his friend more determined than ever to make sure Lucy came home safely.

Whatever happened that day on Tenrou Island between the two of them had changed Natsu forever.

Natsu closed his eyes and took a deep breath, searching for her scent. "This way," he said, taking the lead, and they were off and running again.

* * *

Brandish and Lucy both watched the celestial spirit expectantly.

Levitating into the air above them, she used her magic to create a mirror from the spilled water from which she appeared. The two women crept closer. Lucy, eyes full of wonder, looked up at her spirit friend.

"What is this?" Lucy asked, amazed. "I've never seen you do this before."

"This is the 'Memory of the Stars'," Aquarius answered. "An archive of memories woven by celestial spirits for generations."

Slowly, an image began to form.

In a room Lucy recognized as her mother's chambers at the Heartfilia Estate, lay her mother in her bed, looking just the way Lucy remembered: tired and weak. She wanted to look away so badly, but couldn't will herself to do so. Her mother, if only in a memory, was alive.

Kneeling beside the bed was a woman Lucy didn't recognize but could only assume was Brandish's mother, the infamous Grammi. She was a lovely woman, and Lucy now realized that Brandish looked just like her. Brandish, upon seeing her mother in the pool of water, let out a gasp and whispered her mother's name. Lucy glanced over at the woman beside her. _I guess this is hard for her, too._

Teary-eyed and shaking, Grammi spoke.

"Lady Layla...after everything you've done for me, I've caused you so much pain...and, because of that, I will never be able to forgive myself." Reaching into the pocket of her dress, she held up a gold key. "I'm not worthy of keeping this key that you so graciously entrusted to me...Please, take it back into your hands once more..."

Lucy could see the sadness Layla felt for her friend as she replied, "Unfortunately, I can no longer use celestial spirit magic in this condition..."

"Then please," Grammi interrupted, "let me give Miss Lucy the key. I have no doubt she will become a magnificent celestial spirit wizard in your place."

Giving a small nod, Layla spoke again. "The duty of opening the Gate of Eclipse, which had been passed down in the Heartfilia family for hundreds of years, has finally been fulfilled by my generation. And, if only for that, I am forever grateful." Giving her friend a small smile, she added, "My only wish was for my beloved daughter to be able to live freely, no longer bound by that duty, and now that wish has been granted."

Lucy looked silently at Layla, only now realizing why her mother made the choice she did.

The memory skipped forward, and Grammi was now outside, leaving the estate. A short distance behind her, a shadowy figure wielded a short sword and slowly closing the gap between them. Suddenly, Grammi's eyes grew wide with pain and shock as the blade found it's target.

"MOTHER!" Brandish cried out.

* * *

After he had watched the guild hall doors close behind the group of wizards racing out toward the mountains in the distance, Master Makarov let out a deep sigh and took a seat at the bar. Mirajane, the sweet woman she was, looked at the man with concern in her eyes. "What's troubling you, Master?" she inquired, placing a mug in front of guild master seemed to be lost in thought. "This Brandish that Loke described has the potential to be more dangerous than Zeref himself." He looked down into his drink before he spoke again. "Lucy's only hope may be that Natsu and the others reach her in time."

* * *

"It's all your fault..." a low voice said from behind her. "Lady Layla is dying...BECAUSE OF _YOU!_ "

Still in shock, Grammi dared a look at her attacker. "Z...Zoldeo..."

Unable to hold back, Brandish looked on in horror at the events unfolding in front of her. "STOP IT!" she cried. "STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

"I agree..." Grammi said quietly, her words wavering slightly as she fought the pain she must have been feeling in that moment. "It is...all my fault...I should have...been here...when Lady Layla...needed me. This is...what I...deserve..."

"How _dare_ you..." Zoldeo snarled, angry tears streaming down his face. "How dare you _take her from us!_ " His rage and grief having overtaken him, he stood there, holding Grammi upright by the blade that was lodged in her.

"Zoldeo, please," Grammi said, her voice barely above a whisper now, "my daughter, Brandish...please,...spare her life...in exchange...for my own. Will you...grant...me...this one...last...request?"

The man nodded as he let Grammi fall to the ground.

When the memory flashed forward one last time, it showed Zoldeo standing before a grieving young Brandish. "I was with her at the end," he was saying. "Her dying wish was for you to avenge her death. Will you honor your mother's final task for you?" And then, the magic faded, and the memory was gone.

Brandish's anguished sobs filled the room as the tears held back for so long now flowed freely. As if driven by instinct, Lucy threw her arms around the other woman and held her. Surprised by the unexpected contact, Brandish paused and listened as Lucy spoke softly. "I understand the pain you're feeling, but taking my life could never return your mother's."

Aquarius smiled softly as she watched the two women in front of her. Suddenly, Lucy looked up at the water bearer with questions in her eyes. "Aquarius, if these were the memories of a celestial spirit, whose memories did we just see?"

The mermaid met Lucy's gaze. "The memories belong to the owner of the respective gate key present. At the estate, the memory of Layla was mine, but for Grammi..." she paused. "That memory belonged to Capricorn. I'm certain if he were mortal, that memory would haunt his dreams for the rest of his life. As it was, it drove Zoldeo to madness."

Then, as quickly as she appeared, the spirit was once again surrounded by a bright light. "It's time for me to go back," she said to Lucy. "I look forward to the day we are reunited again." And with that, Aquarius was gone.

Lingering a moment longer, Lucy smiled. _See you soon Aquarius_.

Suddenly, Brandish moved her arms from her sides and shoved Lucy off of her to the ground again. Shocked, Lucy looked at the woman with surprise.

"Don't _ever_ touch me again." Now standing, the woman's look of contempt for Lucy had returned. "If not for your little _dragon slayer_ friend that night, my mission would already be completed. Now I have no choice but to get my hands dirty with your precious blood." The sinister smile she now wore as Brandish slowly walked toward Lucy made her blood run cold. Scrambling to her feet, Lucy tried to keep her distance before her back was met by a wall. Brandish got within a foot of her and slowly reached a hand out to her, only to have it shoot back to Lucy's head and grab a handful of her golden locks. Lucy winced at the pain. Brandish's smile faded and now left her face cold and expressionless. "But this time, there won't be any...distractions."

The words were like venom as they reached Lucy's ears. They, in turn, caused anger to rise up within her as well. She took advantage of their close proximity and spat in Brandish's face.

"You really are a monster."

Brandish's only reaction was to pull out an ornately decorated dagger from her coat. Her face void of emotion, the dagger quickly grew in size to that of a short sword. Lucy eyed the weapon in fear.

"I am one of the Spriggan 12 and a proud citizen of Alvarez," she said as blade met flesh. "I now only live to execute the will of His Majesty...I believe you call him Zeref."

* * *

Natsu had set a gruelling pace for the group, but they were steadily getting closer. He knew it; her scent was growing stronger.

As they neared the mountain range, he could make out the outline of a small room carved into the side of the mountain's face. There was no opening to the outside that he could see, but he knew that there had to be an air shaft somewhere to allow fresh air in from the outside. That, he decided, would be their way in.

When they all paused to take a short rest, Natsu again drew in a deep breath to help guide him to Lucy's prison. The others around him were either busy catching their breath or taking a welcomed drink of water from their canteens to immediately realize the panic that was now written on Natsu's face. His breathing became elevated as he held his head in his hands and fell to his knees.

"Natsu?" Happy said, looking up at his friend nervously.

The others in the group noticed Natsu's unease, and turned to face him as the tension rose in the air.

His voice was shaking as he spoke, but from fear or rage his friends could not be certain.

"I...I smell...blood."

* * *

General Invel stood at the bow of the great naval ship, looking out at the mountain range that rose up before him. Only ten days ago, he had stood before Emperor Spriggan's vast army, informing them that they were to travel to Magnolia to liberate the people there from the oppression they had suffered at the hands of the wizards of Fairy Tail. And at the resounding battle cry he received in return, Invel ordered his men to prepare to depart at once. As he accompanied Zeref to the flagship, His Majesty informed Invel that he would have no interference, as Brandish was seeing to that part of the plan. He was to simply see to his soldiers surrounding the city and await His Majesty's signal to move in. Now, finally, the time had come to begin the long march to Magnolia. Invel turned to the telepathy wizard standing behind him, awaiting his orders, that the fleet was to prepare for landfall.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The excruciating pain Lucy felt as the beautifully decorated blade drove into the hollow of her left shoulder almost made her pity their opponents when Natsu would unleash his flames upon them.

Almost. Those guys definitely had it coming to them.

The burning sensation she felt reached all the way down to her fingertips, and although she clenched her teeth and closed her eyes tightly, she refused to give Brandish the satisfaction of hearing her scream. She felt the sensation again as Brandish pulled the blade out and, shrinking it back to its original size, pinned her left hand against the wall and stabbed the dagger through Lucy's wrist. Her right hand shaking, she reached up and grabbed hold of the hilt, only to find that when she tried to pull the dagger from her wrist she could not; the blade had found its way through and into the wall, causing Lucy to grunt from the effort in disgust.

When Lucy did manage to open one eye enough to look at Brandish, she noticed the woman reaching for a second dagger, but instead of enlarging the blade as she did before she opted to grab hold of Lucy's right hand, driving the second dagger through her other wrist, pinning her defenseless in a crucifix pose against the wall. This time her attempt to maintain her composure was less successful, as she had to bite down on her lower lip until she could taste the blood in her mouth. Feeling her heartbeat throbbing in her ears, she tried to use her wrists to pull the blades out of the wall behind her, a futile effort to free herself. Adrenaline nearly overwhelming her stressed body, Lucy opened both eyes to stare angrily at Brandish. When she spoke, it was between shaky breaths.

"Why...are you... _doing this_? You know...my mother didn't...have Grammi killed. Why...are you still...out for...revenge?"

"This isn't about revenge," Brandish answered coldly. "This is about making sure your little friends have a trail to follow." She paused briefly, taking Lucy's chin into her hand. "Getting my revenge is just a bonus."

Shock and confusion filled Lucy's eyes, her mind struggling to focus on anything other than the pain. Why on earth did Brandish go through so much trouble to bring her... _wherever-she-was_...and torture her, only to _want_ her friends to find her?

Why was she trying to lure them away from the guild?

Brandish's agitation was almost tangible. "You really are clueless."

Lucy's only response was another angry glare.

"Did you honestly think this had _anything_ to do with you?" she continued. "Don't flatter yourself. You may have thought you saved your friend that day on Tenrou Island, but in reality you only succeeded in sealing his fate."

Angrily baring her clenched teeth, Lucy's brow began to drip with sweat. Brandish responded by punching her in the side, causing Lucy to grunt in pain. She tried to catch her breath before meeting her gaze again. She was beginning to feel lightheaded, and she was struggling to keep her feet beneath her as her knees threatened to buckle. But as much pain as she was in at that moment was not enough to prevent her from snarling a response.

"What's that...supposed...to mean?"

A ghost of a smile flashed across Brandish's face. "His Majesty has personal business with Natsu Dragneel, and _no one_ is going to interfere. In fact," she added, "His Majesty asked me to thank you for your help."

"WHAT IS...ZEREF...GOING TO...DO TO NATSU?" Lucy yelled as Brandish walked toward the door. A quick rap on the door and it opened.

Looking back at Lucy, she simply answered, "They have a fight to finish," and walked out the door closing with a heavy "bang".

When she could be sure that Brandish was gone, Lucy finally relented to the weariness, the adrenaline rush having passed. Her knees gave out at last, and a new wave of pain racked her body as her full weight came down on the blades, her body now held up only by her wrists. A blood-curdling scream filled the room, and a mentally and physically exhausted Lucy couldn't hold it back.

* * *

"Natsu?" Levy heard Happy ask nervously.

The blue-haired Solid Script magic user had been sitting down to rest her aching feet, but hearing the tension in Happy's voice, she turned to look his way. Next to Wendy and the Exceeds, Levy was by far the shortest in the group, and as a result took the shortest strides. Wendy had been carried a good portion of the way by Carla, but Levy had been running the whole way. And although Lily had offered to carry her for a bit to let her catch her breath, she politely declined; she hated the thought of being seen as weak, and appreciated the fact that Gajeel's Exceed companion did not press the issue further. She had asked to come along on this mission, and could not afford to be the weak link in their chain.

When Natsu responded, she couldn't tell if the unsteadiness in his voice was out of fear or anger. Eyes wide, her gaze quickly shifted to Gajeel and Wendy. Judging by their reactions, they could smell the blood as well.

That was all the motivation the group needed to continue the advance. Natsu surged ahead, yelling for Happy to get him in closer. "Aye sir!" he answered, grabbing Natsu and taking to the sky. Wendy and Carla followed, knowing they would now be needed once Lucy was found.

"Come on," Erza said from beside Levy, preparing to begin her ascent up the mountain. "The rest of us will have to follow on foot."

"Lily," Gajeel said suddenly, "keep an eye on the Shrimp until I get up there."

"I can take care of myself!" Levy snapped back, as the black Exceed gave a nod and grabbed her by the back of her dress before lifting her upward.

She was fairly certain she heard a distinct chuckle from below as she and Lily raced to catch up to the other dragon slayers.

"Take Lucy's keys with you," Loke called, tossing her belt with the pouch and whip up to Levy. "I will wait for you all in the spirit world until Lucy summons me." Levy caught them and flashed the spirit a smile as his figure faded away.

Then, as if out of nowhere, a man appeared to face the remaining wizards on foot. A thin, young man of average height with spiky, dark-colored hair, he wore dark-colored trousers and a dark-colored blazer, both of which have plaid designs on their outer linings. Underneath his blazer, he had a light-colored shirt with a large collar that he kept upturned. He sported a striped bandanna and a pair of chopper-style glasses on his forehead. He eyed his opponents with disgust until he noticed Erza among them. Turning his attention to her, his disposition instantly changed to a brighter one as he flashed her a smile and said, "Why, hello gorgeous, what are you doing with these losers?"

Erza, Gray and Gajeel all looked at the man in utter disbelief.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING LOSERS?" the guys demanded in unison.

"Who are you?" Erza inquired.

"The name's Marin Hollow," he said, taking a sweeping bow, "and I'm from the Brandish Squad, a part of the Alvarez Empire's Army." He looked up at Erza and smiled charmingly again. "And who is the lovely lady?"

"Where's Lucy?" Gray growled, unapologetic about interrupting the pleasantries between them.

Marin's smile faded slightly as he turned his attention to the ice wizard. "Ah, you must be the friends she keeps talking about. We've been expecting you."

"Let us pass," Erza said, her voice taking a threatening tone, "or we shall make you. Requip!"

Nothing happened.

Erza's eyes grew wide in surprise.

"Erza, what's wrong?" Gray asked, glancing over at her.

"I...I can't requip into any of my armors!"

"Of course not. Space is something _I_ control." Marin's smile was gone as he eyed her, no longer in a good mood.

"Control space?" Gajeel thought out loud.

"The Area," Marin answered. "It allows me to instantly equip anything I wish. Spacial Magic is useless against me."

Erza's face filled with horror as she looked down to see her lower body beginning to disappear. "What's...happening?" she gasped.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot," Marin said, holding a finger up in front of his face, "those that try to beat me at my own game have a special place."

Erza cried out as her body quickly disappeared.

"ERZA!" Gray shouted, reaching out to grab her. Unfortunately, all he managed to come up with was a fistful of air.

Gajeel and Gray looked at Marin with murder in their eyes.

"WHERE DID YOU TAKE ERZA?!" Gray snarled.

Marin looked back at the men with a smile. "Didn't you hear me? She's in a special place I set aside just for magic users like her. As for you two...," the smile suddenly became more sinister, "you can die right here and now."

* * *

Natsu's anxiety only increased as they neared the small room carved into the mountainside, the smell of Lucy and blood both growing stronger. Suddenly, the sound of a blood-curdling scream assaulted his eardrums. As he and Happy approached, he could now see the space jutted out slightly from the rock face, creating a roof of sorts but also a landing area for just this occasion. Dropping down with Wendy, Carla, Levy and Lily right behind him, the group surveyed the situation. The smells they were following became nearly overwhelming to the dragon slayers' senses. It didn't take them long to find the air shaft; it was no greater in diameter than a drinking glass, but when they tried to look down it to see if Lucy was visible, Wendy noticed a rock that had lodged itself halfway down the shaft. The sky dragon slayer let out a gasp. Not only was the rock impeding their view into the room, it also limited airflow as well.

If Lucy stayed in that room for an extended amount of time, she would slowly suffocate.

Having the most slender arms in the group, Levy got down on her knees and tried to reach down the shaft and dislodge the stone. She managed to get her entire arm in up to her elbow, but it just wasn't far enough to reach the stone; the air shaft was longer than they had realized.

Pulling her arm back out, she decided to try calling down to Lucy instead. "Lu! Can you hear me?" she hollered. "If you can hear me, say something!"

No response.

Rising to her feet, she took her index finger and began scribbling something in the air. "Solid Script: Hole!" Then, sweeping her arm across her body, causing the word HOLE to appear on the ground in front of her. "There. Now we can get in there and find out what's going on."

"Nice work Levy!" Natsu said, smiling for the first time in days, jumping onto the word and falling into the room below. Wendy and Happy were right on his heels. Levy, Carla, and Lily - assuming his Battle Form - decided to stay topside and scout for a possible ambush.

The smell of sweat and blood was almost unbearable for the dragon slayers; their heightened senses were now working against them as they stood and looked at Lucy. Arms spread apart and held there by the daggers that were stuck into her wrists, the poor woman looked as though she were the subject of a makeshift crucifixion. Rushing over to her, Wendy supported her limp form as Natsu yanked the blades from her wrists. Calling to Levy for a rope, Wendy and Natsu, holding Lucy against his chest with one hand and the rope with the other, held on as Levy and Lily (mostly Lily) pulled them out.

Gently the two set her on the hard floor and Wendy began assessing her injuries. There were several small scrapes and bruises on her legs, but nothing that needed to be worried about at the moment. The stab wounds to her wrists and the bruised side would probably be the easiest to heal, but the shoulder would only be able to get emergency treatment until they could get her to the infirmary. Putting her hands out over Lucy, Wendy got right to work.

Natsu stood over the girls and watched Lucy's shallow breathing, replaying the time he found her on Tenrou Island in his mind. He clenched his fists at his sides so hard his arms shook. There was no way this was happening.

Not again.

It was Happy that stated the obvious. "Lucy's hurt pretty bad," he said quietly.

Suddenly, Lucy's eyes opened and she looked around her, appearing confused as to how she ended up outside. And then, her eyes rested on Natsu's face.

He was so relieved to see her looking around that he almost knelt down to hug her, but the next words he heard stopped him in his tracks.

"Natsu, you shouldn't have come."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"What did you say?"

Gajeel barely had the words out before the man vanished from in front of him and felt himself get hit from behind. A grunt of surprise managed to escape as the ground rushed up to meet him, getting a face full in the process. Scarlet irises blazing, the iron dragon slayer looked back at Marin and snarled, "All right tough guy, no more freebies." Picking himself up, Gajeel let his magic energy surge within him, covering himself in iron scales as the afternoon sun ducked behind a passing cloud. Just as he was about to launch a counterattack, Marin grinned and vanished again.

Gray, who had been watching dumbfounded until this point, snapped into action, finally taking his fighting stance and scanning the area furiously for any hint as to where Marin would reappear. When Gray did notice him it was too late however; Marin successfully caught Gray with his back turned toward him, first punching him in the kidney and then delivering a round house that left Gray on the ground, dazed by the attack. Slowly rising to his feet, the two Fairy Tail wizards exchanged glances. Clearly, Marin had the upper hand, and he was flaunting it to the fullest extent.

"Now you two know the true power of the Great Marin, a Spacial Magic Specialist!" Marin declared, dodging Gajeel's punches easily. "You are in _MY_ domain!"

Just then, the sun peeked out from behind the cloud again, causing Marin's shadow to become visible.

Toothy grin and all, Gajeel grabbed hold of Marin's shadow and pulled it to his mouth. Instantly, the magic energy surged even higher as Gajeel rose to his feet. His second origin, Iron Shadow Dragon Slayer Mode, was taking effect. Marin watched, eyes wide, as Gajeel's already menacing appearance became even more sinister. Before Marin could flash away again, Gajeel grabbed him by the shirt collar and held him up off the ground, high enough to look the man in the face as he spoke.

"Now _you're_ gonna know a _taste_ of the true power of Fairy Tail! Iron Shadow Dragon's Club!" Gajeel growled, before giving Marin a hit that sent him flying. Before Gray could join in with his Ice Maker magic, they felt another magical presence that made both wizards shudder. Turning to face the mountain once more, Gray and Gajeel looked in awe as an opening seemed to appear out of nowhere and a young woman with mint green hair walked toward them. When she spoke, it was only directed at Marin, a look of irritation on her face.

"How long are you going to play around with these fools, Marin?" she asked. "His Majesty is not a man to be kept waiting."

"Ah, Lady Brandish," Marin called, rubbing his jaw. He looked her way and flashed a smile, his original charming self again. "You look stunning, as always."

"This is no time for flattery," she retorted, waving the compliment away with her hand. "Come, my pet, we are off to Magnolia at once."

"Hey! What about Erza?" Gray called after them.

Brandish paused to look at Marin. "Release their friend," she replied.

"EHH!? But...she was going to be part of my collection!" Marin whined. "And you said I could do whatever I wanted, Lady Brandish..."

An immense surge of magical energy reverberated from the ground where Brandish stood. Suddenly, a look of sheer panic was written all over Marin's face.

"What's going on?" Gajeel asked as the ground beneath them rumbled. When he noticed what was happening, he discovered a level of cruelty that could make even the Great Black Steel Gajeel's blood run cold. Whatever Marin was about to say next was cut off by the sound of him struggling to breathe; this Brandish woman, whoever she was, had managed to close off his windpipe _just by looking at him_.

" _Don't make me repeat myself again,"_ she said quietly, releasing Marin finally. Unable to speak but giving his superior a nod, he snapped his fingers and Erza fell to the ground.

"Erza! Are you okay?" Gray yelled, running to her.

"What was that creepy room..." she thought to herself out loud.

"You made a big mistake picking a fight with Fairy Tail, Little Girl," Gajeel taunted, quickly silenced by the ice wizard nearby.

Turning to the iron dragon slayer, Brandish offered a smirk. "It's very troublesome to get into unnecessary fights, so I always make sure I win." Placing her hand on Marin's shoulder, she added one last thing before they disappeared. "There are 12 more wizards of this power in His Majesty's Army. If you defy us, you will lose."

Just then, Lily appeared with Levy by the waist and Wendy and Carla not far behind. "What was that incredible magic energy?" the female Exceed asked no one in particular.

Erza looked up to see Lucy, Natsu and Happy still on the ledge above, a wildfire burning in Lucy's eyes. Glad to see her friend on her feet, the Requip user turned to the group. "We don't have a moment to lose. We have to warn the Master and the rest of the guild to prepare for battle!"

* * *

"What did you say?"

The words came out barely above a whisper, but Wendy heard them clearly. She herself was so stunned by Lucy's reaction that she paused from healing her injuries to look up at Natsu. His face was a mixture of several emotions: shock, anger, pain, sadness; none of these were ones that Wendy was accustomed to seeing from him with regard to Lucy. The celestial wizard and fire dragon slayer had been so close until recently that it seemed impossible that Natsu's loyalty would ever be questioned. Now, however, it seemed even that fact was in jeopardy.

"I said, you shouldn't have come here," she repeated. "You have to get back to Fairy Tail."

"Not without you," Happy said firmly.

"Clearly someone got hit in the head to be saying something so crazy," Carla muttered to herself.

Levy nodded her head in agreement. "Of course we would come to rescue you, Lu. We're family, and family takes care of each other."

At the sound of the word 'family', Natsu clenched his teeth and glared at Lucy. "Do you even know what that word means anymore?"

"Of course I do, you idiot!" she retorted, glaring back at him. "That's why you have to go back, with _or without me_!"

That response was enough to get Natsu's fists ablaze.

"What do you want from me, Lucy?" he asked quietly. "I already told you I don't want to say goodbye to you! Never! I came all this way to bring you home, and you're pushing me away again. Don't you know you would have died alone in that room if we didn't come? "

"Natsu..."

"I'm not that person Brandish said I am! Well, maybe I was, but I don't have any memories of back then. None of us do! The first memory I have from this side of the Gate, I guess you could say, was waking up and realizing that Igneel was gone. I looked everywhere for him, Lucy...and then I found you."

"Natsu."

He had to struggle to keep his voice from wavering and the tears from falling, but somehow he did it. "I can only imagine the anger you feel towards me, towards all five of us...but in your heart you must know we aren't those little kids who walked through the Eclipse Gate all those years ago. Those kids are long gone! Gajeel...Wendy...We're Fairy Tail wizards!"

"NATSU!" Lucy looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "This isn't about us! Why do you think Brandish would say all those things about a complete stranger?"

He looked back at her, confused.

"She was trying to separate us so she could lure you away from the guild. And her plan worked perfectly, thanks to me." She closed her eyes and slowly sat up. "She's a master manipulator, and I let her get in my head. I doubted my trust in you, even though in my heart I knew the things she said weren't who you really are." Clenching her fists at her sides, she continued uninterrupted. "There is something about Fairy Tail that Zeref wants, and he is using me to get to you. So if you don't leave me here and go back right now, everything I've done for _my family_ will have been for nothing!" Lucy turned away from the group, trying to hide the tears that rolled like rapids from her eyes. "My mother gave her life for me, and I never got to tell my father I loved him before he died. I don't want to lose you guys too!"

Wendy and the rest of the group watched Lucy in silence. Suddenly, the sky dragon slayer stood and looked down at the injured celestial wizard. Wendy had frustrated tears in her eyes when she spoke.

"If you have the strength to die for your family, then find the courage to live and fight with us!"

The group turned to the young dragon slayer in shock.

"Wendy..." Carla whispered.

"Lucy, after Nirvana I lost everything. But then, you guys brought Carla and I to Fairy Tail and welcomed us with open arms. You gave us a family again. We all know how you feel. Fairy Tail is all we have left. And now, you are a part of that too. But I'm not ready to say goodbye to any of you yet, so stop pushing us away and come with us!"

Lucy slowly looked from one smiling, teary-eyed face to the next. Finally, Lucy's eyes met Natsu's as he held out his hand to her. "Come on, Lucy. We _all_ need you."

"She's right, Lu. If this is going to be our last stand, I can't think of anyone else I would rather fight beside than you." Giving her friend a smile, Levy held out the belt that she had been holding.

"You guys..."

And then, the chill that went down Lucy's spine told her that a familiar magical presence had returned. Looking down below them, the celestial wizard turned to see Brandish walking toward Gray, Gajeel, and the man Lucy knew to have helped kidnap her. Glancing over at Natsu confirmed to her that he recognized it too. A gasp escaped Levy's lips as Lily grabbed her and took off again toward his dragon slayer friend. Looking to Carla, Wendy gave a nod and made a motion to the ledge as the female Exceed grabbed her arms and flew toward the battle below as well. Only Happy, Natsu, and Lucy remained above.

Reaching up for his still extended hand, she grabbed hold and pulled herself to her feet. Baring clenched teeth and an angry glare, she looked back at the green-haired woman below.

 _The next time we meet,_ she thought to herself as she watched Brandish vanish with her accomplice, _I will get my revenge._

 _For myself, and for Fairy Tail!_

* * *

The earth seemed to tremble beneath their feet as Invel and Zeref led the army of 100,000 foot soldiers across the country of Fiore, steadily making their way to the unsuspecting town of Magnolia. The General Spriggan, cold and calculating as ever, looked to his left and then his right, eyeing up his Spriggan 12 comrades and noticing their expressions as they marched on: the look of a fierce beast hungry for its prey. His eyes then wandered up to the sky as a passing cloud made its way in front of the sun. And, if only for a moment, he smiled, anticipating the darkness that would befall the guild known as...Fairy Tail.


	9. update

Hi everyone. After the long hiatus, I have decided to save the next chapters for a third installment. Sorry for making you all wait, but I truly hope you will join me for the third story in what now is a series! In the meantime I will be posting some short-ish stories for you to enjoy.

Thanks again for reading, and stay tuned!


End file.
